I listened to a two-part podcast (7 minutes each) of Optimal Living Daily titled “Seven Steps to Learn and Master Anything by James Altucher”. The purpose of the episodes was to provide steps to master activities faster than the suggested 10,000 hours it takes to become an expert.
Lesson #2 was called “Plus. Minus. Equal” and drew me in. The concept is that anytime you are learning something new, you should incorporate a plus, a minus, and an equal. Each are describe below.
Plus – A real or virtual mentor. Learn from those who are experts in person or through books, podcasts, videos, and classes. This enables us to download all their knowledge and experience. After absorbing content, write down 10 things you learned to keep the information fresh in our minds.
Minus – Teach others who are behind us. Sharing what we are learning helps solidify the ideas and connections. Those a step behind us will also have questions that are foundational to our understanding and can help us move forward faster.
Equal – Go through the learning process with others at the same knowledge level. Find others to take a class with or join a book club together. Talk about what you are learning – often. You can get in the weeds with those in the same experience that you can’t with anyone else.
My Story – Ramping up the Equal
Throughout my life, the plus has always been there. You can look at my bookshelves and see the phases of my career and life. Soaking in content from people, books, podcasts, and anywhere else is my natural approach to the world.
The minus has become more prevalent as my career and life has progressed over time. I continue to want to do more to teach others what I’m learning. I am aware that when I package concepts to teach others the ideas are better framed in my mind.
The equal is an area that I gained an appreciation for in the last 5 years. I have proactively joined communities – photography, sustainability, and creative – to connect with others who are going through the same process as me. The podcast is correct in suggesting that you can go much deeper with a group that is going through the same learning process.
Your Turn
When you think about learning, do you leverage all three areas?
Which is the weakest and how might you strengthen?
As you think about the year ahead, where do you want to learn?
Knowing this structure, could you be more intentional with your growth plan?